The present invention generally relates to dental instruments, and more particularly, to a dental tray.
Dentists and other oral professionals occasionally need to maintain a patient's mouth ajar while working on teeth. Some dental work involves maintaining certain areas of teeth dry during a procedure. This can be particularly difficult because the natural tendencies of a mouth are to maintain the mouth moist by introduction of saliva all around the rear of the mouth and the teeth. Another concern for dentists may be maintaining control over the spastic movements of a tongue.
One exemplary procedure that can benefit from controlling moisture and a tongue is the application of sealant along a quadrant of teeth such as molars and bicuspids. The application of sealant to these teeth may be compromised when liquid makes contact with an etched tooth surface and the sealant ineffectively bonds. Applying a sealant to a quadrant of teeth may consume a tediously long session involving numerous breaks to vacuum liquid adjacent to the area or liquid that has entered the working area for application of the sealant. Once the etchant is applied, the quadrant must remain scrupulously dry during application and curing of the sealant. The curing time can be especially onerous for younger patients who may have less control over their tongues and can ruin the process by washing their tongues over the quadrant where sealant has been applied.
Another issue that may arise is maintaining a dental instrument securely in place while performing a procedure. Some prior art devices may move around or partially unseat if the bite-block position does not apply equal seating force to all areas of the tray during, for example, the application of sealants thus allowing liquid to enter areas of the mouth where environmental control is desired. Other known devices may not assist in maintaining a patient's mouth ajar which may fatigue a patient's jaw and cause the patient to temporarily close the mouth and potentially ruin a procedure.
As can be seen, there is a need for a dental tray that supports a jaw and maintains an area of the mouth free from contamination.